A document-guiding device that clips onto the image sensor of a document scanner ensures that documents to be scanned are introduced into the scanner at an optimal angle and are applied to the transparent surface of the image sensor at an optimal pressure, thereby avoiding scratching and soiling the sensor glass surface. Moreover, the deep input guide clip includes a sharp edge that acts as a scrapper to remove or flatten protruding impurities to further reduce soiling the sensor transparent surface. The deep input guide clip has the added benefit of stopping parasitic ambient light and protecting the image sensor against hard falling objects thus avoiding breakage of the transparent surface. The deep input guide clip forms a compact enclosure that may also hold a set of document proximity sensors and associated control electronics for precisely detecting the leading edge of the document when it is introduced in the scanner, its width and its trailing edge.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A document scanner, comprising: an image sensor, the image sensor including a transparent surface over an optical focus line; a feed roller motor; a rotatable feed roller coupled to the feed roller motor, the feed roller being adapted to contact said transparent surface along a contact line that is offset from said optical focus line; and a generally U-shaped deep input guide clip, the deep input guide clip including a plurality of retaining bends to clip onto the image sensor and including a document facing surface defining an opening aligned with the transparent surface, the retaining bends precisely locating the optical focus line relative to the contact line.
2. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein the deep input guide clip is shaped from a single sheet of material.
3. The document scanner of claim 2 , wherein the material is one of plastic and sheet metal.
4. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein the generally U-shaped deep input guide clip includes a pair of facing arms extending from a closed portion of the U-shape, the pair of facing arms being resiliently biased toward one another.
5. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein the deep input guide clip includes plurality of spaced cutouts adapted to trap dust as a document is introduced into the scanner.
6. The document scanner of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of document proximity sensors to detect a leading edge, width and trailing edge of the document introduced into the scanner, the proximity sensors being secured within the deep input guide clip.
7. The document scanner of claim 6 , wherein the proximity sensors are secured within the deep input guide clip by selected ones of the retaining bends and by proximity sensor folds integral to the deep input guide clip, an active portion of each of the plurality of document proximity sensors being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of spaced cutouts.
8. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein an edge of the document facing surface is disposed so as to scrape the document as it is introduced into the scanner.
9. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein the optical focus line is disposed between the edge of the document facing surface and the contact line, a pressure on the document during a scanning operation being greater at the contact line than at the optical focus line.
10. The document scanner of claim 1 , further comprising a primary input guide including: a generally planar first surface angled relative to the document facing surface; and a generally arcuate second surface facing the feed roller in close proximity therewith and having a curvature generally matching that of the feed roller, whereby the primary input guide constrains a path of the document between the first surface and the document facing surface and prevents the feed roller from catching the document until the document is deeply engaged within the scanner.
11. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor includes a contact image sensor.
12. The document scanner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of document proximity sensors include infrared sensors.
13. A one-piece deep input guide clip to secure an image sensor of a document scanner, the guide clip including a closed portion from which a pair of facing arms extend, the facing arms being resiliently biased toward one another and including a plurality of retaining bends to clip onto and precisely locate at least an image sensor between the pair of facing arms, the guide clip further including a document facing surface, the document facing surface defining a plurality of cutouts adapted to trap dust and to provide openings for document proximity sensors.
14. The one-piece deep input guide clip of claim 13 , wherein the document facing surface further defines a transparent surface opening to accommodate a transparent surface of the image sensor.
15. The one-piece deep input guide clip of claim 13 , wherein the deep input guide clip is formed of one of plastic and sheet metal.
16. The one-piece deep input guide clip of claim 13 , wherein the closed portion defines at least one proximity sensor fold extending between the facing arms to secure, in combination with at least one of the plurality of retaining bends, a document proximity sensor assembly.
17. The one-piece deep input guide clip of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of retaining bends is formed by cutting out three sides of a rectangular window in one arm of the pair of facing arms and pushing a remaining portion of the window toward the other arm of the pair of facing arms.
18. The one-piece deep input guide clip of claim 13 , wherein a first retaining bend of the plurality of retaining bends is located at a free extremity of one of the facing arms and forms a continuous rail along a width thereof, the rail being adapted to clip onto the image sensor.
19. The one-piece deep input guide clip of claim 13 , wherein at least one second retaining bend of the plurality of retaining bends is shaped as a slender extension bent at a free extremity thereof to clip onto the image sensor.
20. A document scanner, comprising: image sensing means, the image sensing means including a transparent surface over an optical focus line; feed roller motor means; a rotatable roller means coupled to the feed roller motor means, the feed roller means being adapted to contact said transparent surface along a contact line that is offset from said optical focus line; and deep input guide clip means, the deep input guide clip means being generally U-shaped and including a pair of facing arm means extending from a closed portion of the U-shape, the pair of facing arm means being resiliently biased toward one another, the deep input guide clip means including means for precisely locating the optical focus line relative to the contact line such that a pressure on a document during a scanning operation is greater at the contact line than at the optical focus line.
21. The document scanner of claim 20 , wherein the pressure on the document at the optical focus line is substantially null.
22. The document scanner of claim 20 , wherein the deep input guide clip means includes a plurality of integral retaining bend means to clip onto the image sensor means, and includes a document facing surface defining an opening aligned with the transparent surface, the integral retaining bend means precisely locating the optical focus line relative to the contact line.
23. The document scanner of claim 20 , wherein the deep input guide clip means is shaped from a single sheet of material.
24. The document scanner of claim 23 , wherein the material is one of plastic and sheet metal.
25. The document scanner of claim 20 , wherein the deep input guide clip means includes a plurality of dust trap means to trap dust as a document is introduced into the scanner.
26. The document scanner of claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of document proximity sensor means to detect a leading edge, width and trailing edge of a document introduced into the scanner, the proximity sensor means being secured within the deep input guide clip means.
27. The document scanner of claim 26 , wherein the proximity sensor means are secured within the deep input guide clip means by selected ones of a plurality of retaining bend means integral to the guide clip means and by at least one proximity sensor fold means integral to the deep input guide clip means, an active portion of each of the plurality of document proximity sensor means being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of dust trap means.
28. The document scanner of claim 20 , further including scrapping means to scrape the document as it is introduced into the scanner.
29. The document scanner of claim 20 , further comprising a primary input guide means including: a generally planar first surface angled relative to a surface of the deep input guide clip means adapted to face the document; and a generally arcuate second surface facing the feed roller means in close proximity therewith and having a curvature generally matching that of the feed roller means, whereby the primary input guide means constrains a path of the document between the first surface and the document facing surface and prevents the feed roller means from catching the document until the document is deeply engaged within the scanner.
30. The document scanner of claim 20 , wherein the image sensor means includes a contact image sensor.
31. The document scanner of claim 26 , wherein the plurality of document proximity sensor means include infrared sensors.
32. A document scanner, comprising: image sensing means, the image sensing means including a transparent surface over an optical focus line; feed roller motor means; a rotatable roller means coupled to the feed roller motor means, the feed roller means being adapted to contact said transparent surface along a contact line that is offset from said optical focus line; and deep input guide clip means including a plurality of integral retaining bend means to clip onto the image sensor means for precisely locating the optical focus line relative to the contact line such that a pressure on a document during a scanning operation is greater at the contact line than at the optical focus line, the deep input guide clip means including a document facing surface defining an opening aligned with the transparent surface.
33. A document scanner, comprising: image sensing means, the image sensing means including a transparent surface over an optical focus line; feed roller motor means; a rotatable roller means coupled to the feed roller motor means, the feed roller means being adapted to contact said transparent surface along a contact line that is offset from said optical focus line; and deep input guide clip means, the deep input guide clip means including: means for precisely locating the optical focus line relative to the contact line such that a pressure on a document during a scanning operation is greater at the contact line than at the optical focus line; a plurality of dust trap means to trap dust as a document is introduced into the scanner; a plurality of document proximity sensor means to detect a leading edge, width and trailing edge of a document introduced into the scanner, the proximity sensor means being secured within the deep input guide clip means by selected ones of a plurality of retaining bend means integral to the guide clip means and by at least one proximity sensor fold means integral to the deep input guide clip means, an active portion of each of the plurality of document proximity sensor means being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of dust trap means.
34. A document scanner, comprising: image sensing means, the image sensing means including a transparent surface over an optical focus line; feed roller motor means; a rotatable roller means coupled to the feed roller motor means, the feed roller means being adapted to contact said transparent surface along a contact line that is offset from said optical focus line; deep input guide clip means, the deep input guide clip means including means for precisely locating the optical focus line relative to the contact line such that a pressure on a document during a scanning operation is greater at the contact line than at the optical focus line, and a primary input guide means including: generally planar first surface angled relative to a surface of the deep input guide clip means adapted to face the document, and a generally arcuate second surface facing the feed roller means in close proximity therewith and having a curvature generally matching that of the feed roller means, whereby the primary input guide means constrains a path of the document between the first surface and the document facing surface and prevents the feed roller means from catching the document until the document is deeply engaged within the scanner.
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July 1, 1999
April 22, 2003
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